Mail boxes and other package delivery containers are important items at any location where there are people mailing packages, to avoid the people having to carry packages with them to a centralized postal or shipping facility. Many cities and towns allow package drop boxes in many locations such as street corners and most users are accustomed to using such containers, provided that they are convenient and accessible. However, the containers require periodic emptying by postal or delivery service personnel, and this requires that personnel spend time and equipment traveling, emptying and hauling from the locations. Often, this travel occurs when there are few or no packages to collect. Additionally, package weight and size is not known until the package collector visits the drop box, at which time it is too late to plan for heavy of unwieldy loads. Finally, the public does not often know when packages are to be collected, and thus they are unable to make a decision about depositing their package in the container or traveling to a central facility for the fastest shipping of their package. Further, the public occasionally needs instructions on how to mail items properly. This is a cause for great inefficiency, unnecessary fuel consumption and monetary expenditures. In addition, dangerous situations whereby malicious users insert explosive or infectious substances can be avoided by this invention because solar-powered programmable logic controllers attached to sensors can alert personnel to the danger. Also, many of these containers contain shipping supplies, such as envelopes; address labels and the like, which are critical to convenient mailing. At times, these envelopes and other items are all used or stolen, so the public has no access to them. This makes mailing a package inconvenient or impossible. Finally, as some drop boxes require payment, the advent of solar-powered logic controllers, scanners and transmitters can enable payment options at the box, providing greater user convenience.
Package collection can be streamlined and improved with solar-powered “smart package delivery containers,” which have programmable circuitry which enables the use of sensors, scanners, transmitters and receivers to foster efficient and easy package deposit, recognition and data transfer. With real-time knowledge of drop box “fullness,” package destination, weight information, on-site envelope and label inventory and other package characteristics, programmable package delivery containers can save money by saving staff time, and can help to conserve fuel by reducing collection frequency, and thus vehicle travel time. The present invention can make mailing packages more convenient by helping staff ensure that envelopes, address labels and other necessary supplies are in stock, and it can provide real-time information to both staff and users, which makes the process more convenient and accessible. Prior art package enclosures either do not have electricity at all, or they require AC electricity, which limits them to locations conveniently attached to the electricity grid. This limits the location of such electricity-enabled drop boxes. Thus, prior art drop boxes are characteristically non-powered, or they are confined to areas where electrical connections are feasible and cost-effective.
There is a need for powered package holding enclosures in remote settings and high-traffic areas, that will allow people to conveniently mail packages, but that provide other information for emptying package enclosures safely and only when needed or optimal.